Fontbonne University

Big heart.
Even bigger reputation.
What this small university
needed was branding,
marketing & digital reimagining…

Located along the tree-lined streets of Clayton, Missouri, just a stone’s throw from beautiful Forest Park, Fontbonne University offers both a rich history and a robust curriculum.

Still, due to outdated branding and a lack of marketing support, this beloved institution was facing declining awareness and falling enrollment. Committed to reenergizing the university and repositioning their branding, Fontbonne leadership reached out to Dovetail. Shortly after being named agency-of-record, we took a deep dive, executing key stakeholder interviews and a brand awareness survey.
  • Brand Strategy
  • Brand Story & Positioning
  • Brand Design & Digital
  • Research & Insights
  • Website Design & Build
  • Brand Activation
  • Fontbonne University logo mark and full logo
    Fontbonne University wave graphic

    Soar Higher

    Research in tow, we created a completely refreshed brand positioning and platform, as well as a fully-integrated marketing campaign, all based around the statement: Soar Higher.

    Fontbonne University Soar Higher billboard design
    Fontbonne University brand guidelines book spread

    Simple, powerful… this new branding
    communicates Fontbonne’s strengths as a small,
    supportive campus culture with rigorous academic programs
    that lead students to profound career success.

    Beyond this message of empowerment and achievement, we endeavored to deliver on this mantra with a unique, modern new logo.

    With a reimagined message and mark in place, we set out to replace Fontbonne’s cumbersome website with a new one that brought the university’s brand to life and prioritized UX and sales conversion.

    three Fontbonne University social media advertising units
    Fontbonne University website page designs on six smartphones

    Launching in March of 2019, this reimagined branding and campaign has already generated impressive results based on website analytics results from 3/1/19 through 12/31/19 vs. the year prior:

    • Total site size reduced from 1,500+ pages to under 450
    • Overall site bounce rate decreased from 59.35% to 6.04%
    • Average page load time decreased by 7.83%
    • Total goal completions (request info, schedule a campus visit, or applying online) increased by 38.13%
    • Conversion rate increased by 72.39%

    Fontbonne University magazine design cover and interior
    I have always considered Dovetail much more than a creative agency, they are truly strategic partners to the university brand team. Their insightful approach to the challenges of higher education resulted in a brand positioning and creative platform that uniquely position Fontbonne. The account team is one of the best I have experienced.
    Pat Erb
    Associate Vice President, Communication and Marketing, Fontbonne University
    Fontbonne University logo on a canvas bag and a stone wall

    Additional Brand Studies

    We believe every brand has ownable positioning, even if it doesn’t seem obvious.
    Below are more of our selected brands reimagined for future success.